A high-ranking German football official has suggested that European nations should consider boycotting the 2026 World Cup due to escalating political tensions and trade disputes involving U.S. President Donald Trump.
Oke Göttlich, a vice president of the German Football Federation (DFB) and president of FC St. Pauli, has called for a serious international discussion regarding a boycott of the 2026 World Cup in response to the controversial foreign policy actions of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Speaking to a German newspaper, Göttlich argued that the growing geopolitical instability—fueled specifically by the American president’s bid to take over Greenland and repeated threats of trade tariffs against European nations—demands a firm stance from the sporting community to defend democratic values.
Drawing parallels between current global tensions and historic Olympic boycotts of the past, Göttlich suggested that the intersection of politics and sport has reached a breaking point, particularly as critics highlight how travel bans and inflated ticket prices under the current administration are undermining the accessibility of the tournament.
While the federation has yet to adopt an official stance, the vice president emphasized that Germany and its neighbors must evaluate their participation, asserting that “it’s time to seriously discuss boycotting” the event to ensure the integrity of the sport is not compromised by the actions of the host nation’s leadership.